Things I've learned . . .

[golstat2003]

. . . From spending a month playing on various other servers / flavors of COH.

 

1. Veteran Rewards and the way they were setup pre-shutdown were  . . . NOT that great.

2. HC COH is not as easy as COH can be. Other servers allow you to do crazy things like getting FS, Transference at level 6. Mog / Elude at level 14, Nova at level 18.

3. Without an actual population getting IOs is a grind of unbelievable length. No pop, no AH. You will never get any useful set bonuses relying on drops and reward merits alone. An Active AH is pretty much Integral to the COH experience now.

4. The game is just fine played on SOs, just like it always was.

5. Incarnate abilities without IOs are meh as f. If the IO system didn't exist (and on some servers it pretty much doesn't because of number 3) I don't think Incarnates would be as unbalancing as some folks say it is. They would just be nice to have boosts.

6. Homecoming devs are doing stuff right taking the slow and steady path. Characters can pretty easily and readily break on some of the other servers. Having to reroll an entire character (no matter their level) is sure has hell not fun! Maps and parts of the game simply don't work on other servers because of some of the wacky changes made. On one server the PI indoor Police station pretty much bugs out your game every time, forcing you to re-validate EVERY. TIME. 

7. The devs and community and HC are the friendliest of all the servers. Full stop.

 

EDIT: I'll continue to spend some MINOR time on the other flavors of COH, but this is my home. 🙂 

If other folks like the other servers better, more power to them, gl hf.

Edited March 7, 2021 by golstat2003
Had to add edit reason.

[Shred Monkey]

Thanks for the update.  I've not felt the need to check other places since I'm quite happy here.  From what you've described I'm not missing anything.

 

And just to add a different perspective on this...

 

On 3/6/2021 at 10:01 PM, golstat2003 said:

4. The game is just fine played on SOs, just like it always was.

The game can be played with SOs.  But the *GAME* for many of us includes creating builds in mid's, and spreadsheets to min/max our toons both during for use on endgame, and even while leveling up.   If I couldn't ever actually create those builds in-game, then, no, that would not be fine.

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Shred Monkey

[Coyote]

20 hours ago, golstat2003 said:

You will never get any useful set bonuses relying on drops and reward merits alone. An Active AH is pretty much Integral to the COH experience now.

 

Huh? I agree with most of the rest of the post, but this seems weird. It is less efficient to use converters to switch IOs to ones that are useful for a build. But it's possible, and as long as you're using a lot of converters for multiple characters, so you don't feel like converting out a useful Positron because you're only looking to get a Numina's, you can get a lot of useful IOs from dropped recipes.

Sets that you can't convert into, like ATOs, those may be hard. But as long as you're running solo story arcs (and soloing TFs, if other shards let you do that), you can get enough merit rewards to get a lot of converters, and them convert dropped recipes into a lot of useful IOs.

Instead of hitting 50 with all of my IOs prepared, I figure it should be possible to hit 50 with at least 50% of my IOs slotted right, and a good start on the rest. That's still way better than live, though.

[Sovera]

15 minutes ago, Coyote said:

 

Huh? I agree with most of the rest of the post, but this seems weird. It is less efficient to use converters to switch IOs to ones that are useful for a build. But it's possible, and as long as you're using a lot of converters for multiple characters, so you don't feel like converting out a useful Positron because you're only looking to get a Numina's, you can get a lot of useful IOs from dropped recipes.

Sets that you can't convert into, like ATOs, those may be hard. But as long as you're running solo story arcs (and soloing TFs, if other shards let you do that), you can get enough merit rewards to get a lot of converters, and them convert dropped recipes into a lot of useful IOs.

Instead of hitting 50 with all of my IOs prepared, I figure it should be possible to hit 50 with at least 50% of my IOs slotted right, and a good start on the rest. That's still way better than live, though.

It actually feels like an interesting ironman challenge. Not something I'd do on HC, but soloing stuff that rewards merits and purchasing the recipes/converting could be a nice long term plan.

[golstat2003]

2 hours ago, Coyote said:

 

Huh? I agree with most of the rest of the post, but this seems weird. It is less efficient to use converters to switch IOs to ones that are useful for a build. But it's possible, and as long as you're using a lot of converters for multiple characters, so you don't feel like converting out a useful Positron because you're only looking to get a Numina's, you can get a lot of useful IOs from dropped recipes.

Sets that you can't convert into, like ATOs, those may be hard. But as long as you're running solo story arcs (and soloing TFs, if other shards let you do that), you can get enough merit rewards to get a lot of converters, and them convert dropped recipes into a lot of useful IOs.

Instead of hitting 50 with all of my IOs prepared, I figure it should be possible to hit 50 with at least 50% of my IOs slotted right, and a good start on the rest. That's still way better than live, though.

There is nothing on the market to convert. And on some servers, no converters avaible. I should have clarified, you CAN do it, but just that the lack of anything to convert with, it will take you an insane amount of time on some servers.

[Snarky]

10 minutes ago, golstat2003 said:

There is nothing on the market to convert. And on some servers, no converters avaible. I should have clarified, you CAN do it, but just that the lack of anything to convert with, it will take you an insane amount of time on some servers.

THe main issue for me would be reward merits.  TFs would be harder to get.  But I have been known to solo story arcs for thousands of merits.  With standard recipe drops, converters, and buying purps from AH ATM with merits the only sticking point would be getting the cash for winter packs.  Long time sure, but doable.  Could even trick out all the Incarnate stuff with solo DA arc.  Not a quick way, especially one toon in.  But then there is fire farming for cash I suppose.  That would net enough to buy Winters, and convert those to ones you want.  Serious grindage, but a few months in could be as tricked out as on HC.

[golstat2003]

Just now, Snarky said:

THe main issue for me would be reward merits.  TFs would be harder to get.  But I have been known to solo story arcs for thousands of merits.  With standard recipe drops, converters, and buying purps from AH ATM with merits the only sticking point would be getting the cash for winter packs.  Long time sure, but doable.  Could even trick out all the Incarnate stuff with solo DA arc.  Not a quick way, especially one toon in.  But then there is fire farming for cash I suppose.  That would net enough to buy Winters, and convert those to ones you want.  Serious grindage, but a few months in could be as tricked out as on HC.

And one of the reasons I don't see myself playing long term on some of those servers.

[Coyote]

2 hours ago, Sovera said:

It actually feels like an interesting ironman challenge. Not something I'd do on HC, but soloing stuff that rewards merits and purchasing the recipes/converting could be a nice long term plan.

 

The only catch is that you get a lot more levels and power slots early than you get recipe drops and merits, because you don't have to kill as many mobs per level. Until you're solidly into the 30s, you won't be able to set up many sets. Of course, it's not that uncommon to run SOs/IOs into the late 20s or low 30s anyhow, so I guess it wouldn't be such a great difference. Of course, you won't be running in the teens with the uniques from Panacea, Shield Wall, or Gladiator's Armor, though you might manage Steadfast and Kismet. But it wouldn't be that much worse than playing a character without transferring INF to it.

[Techwright]

The only thing I am aware of that I'd want from another emulation of CoH would be that Illusion Controller costume option to give each illusion pet it's own unique look.  I am, however, also happy that Homecoming gave us the mirroring effect on illusions pets.    If there's some reason for me to personally try out a different emulation, I've yet to hear of it.

[Snarky]

10 hours ago, Coyote said:

 

The only catch is that you get a lot more levels and power slots early than you get recipe drops and merits, because you don't have to kill as many mobs per level. Until you're solidly into the 30s, you won't be able to set up many sets. Of course, it's not that uncommon to run SOs/IOs into the late 20s or low 30s anyhow, so I guess it wouldn't be such a great difference. Of course, you won't be running in the teens with the uniques from Panacea, Shield Wall, or Gladiator's Armor, though you might manage Steadfast and Kismet. But it wouldn't be that much worse than playing a character without transferring INF to it.

Heh, you definitely have to look at the long game here.  This would be one of my "solo all redside" toons.  Heck, i might even try the never reached summit of Blue.  Stop Exp every 5 levels.  This allows you to grind every story arc, the ones not in Ouro, from every contacts.  Merit hoggage.  also, the recipes will flow enough.  Just enough.  Definitely want a full build plan to not waste anything right from the go.  Also, no doubt this would be a Brute for me.  And i have run Brutes on SOs for a long time before I had cash (and in the crappy pre inherent fitness days....)

 

For me, i pronounce this challenge tedious, but extremely doable.  

[Coyote]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

Heh, you definitely have to look at the long game here.  This would be one of my "solo all redside" toons.  Heck, i might even try the never reached summit of Blue.  Stop Exp every 5 levels.  This allows you to grind every story arc, the ones not in Ouro, from every contacts.  Merit hoggage.  also, the recipes will flow enough.  Just enough.  Definitely want a full build plan to not waste anything right from the go.  Also, no doubt this would be a Brute for me.  And i have run Brutes on SOs for a long time before I had cash (and in the crappy pre inherent fitness days....)

 

For me, i pronounce this challenge tedious, but extremely doable.  

 

Running it that way, it definitely sounds doable. And if you had reason to run a "all-arcs" character, it wouldn't even be really going out of your way... you're generally using SOs/IOs for a while, and if you slow XP gain to run all arcs, then you should get enough recipes that when you get access to the 30-50 groups you can start slotting your real build pretty early. Not really far behind one that uses the auction house.

[Hew]

11 hours ago, Snarky said:

THe main issue for me would be reward merits.  TFs would be harder to get.  But I have been known to solo story arcs for thousands of merits.  With standard recipe drops, converters, and buying purps from AH ATM with merits the only sticking point would be getting the cash for winter packs.  Long time sure, but doable.  Could even trick out all the Incarnate stuff with solo DA arc.  Not a quick way, especially one toon in.  But then there is fire farming for cash I suppose.  That would net enough to buy Winters, and convert those to ones you want.  Serious grindage, but a few months in could be as tricked out as on HC.

I taught someone how to market in the current state on Excelsior. I gave them 2 enhs, a walkthrough, 1.5 mil inf, and unleashed them. In the course of ~3 days, they are up to 300+ million in casual marketing.

 

That is enough to kit many builds, or at least pay the expensive flavor of BUY IT NAO enhs.

 

edit: Inf for me is a revolving door. I spend it as soon as I make it. Altitis is a bitch.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Hew

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 hour ago, Hew said:

Inf for me is a revolving door. I spend it as soon as I make it. Altitis is a bitch.

Same here. Did some maintenance this morning and decided that since BZB Tank is on my 2nd acct, I'd use him to store all the excess converters, catalysts, etc and inf I had laying around with my main acct's alts.

 

He's now sitting on a billion inf, tons of salvage, I've got another 500M inf in email and I only made it through 1.5 of 5 pages of alts. Not to mention the other alts on the 2nd acct.

 

Guess it's time to buy some more purples.

[golstat2003]

3 hours ago, Hew said:

I taught someone how to market in the current state on Excelsior. I gave them 2 enhs, a walkthrough, 1.5 mil inf, and unleashed them. In the course of ~3 days, they are up to 300+ million in casual marketing.

 

That is enough to kit many builds, or at least pay the expensive flavor of BUY IT NAO enhs.

 

edit: Inf for me is a revolving door. I spend it as soon as I make it. Altitis is a bitch.

Don't get me started on my altitis. 😛 

[Marshal_General]

I do like what some of the other servers have done like giving controllers their level 32 pet at level one. It makes it a lit easier than having to slog it out until 32.

[Yomo Kimyata]

On 3/7/2021 at 7:49 PM, Coyote said:

 

Huh? I agree with most of the rest of the post, but this seems weird. It is less efficient to use converters to switch IOs to ones that are useful for a build. But it's possible, and as long as you're using a lot of converters for multiple characters, so you don't feel like converting out a useful Positron because you're only looking to get a Numina's, you can get a lot of useful IOs from dropped recipes.

Sets that you can't convert into, like ATOs, those may be hard. But as long as you're running solo story arcs (and soloing TFs, if other shards let you do that), you can get enough merit rewards to get a lot of converters, and them convert dropped recipes into a lot of useful IOs.

Instead of hitting 50 with all of my IOs prepared, I figure it should be possible to hit 50 with at least 50% of my IOs slotted right, and a good start on the rest. That's still way better than live, though.

One thing that HC does that, to the best of my knowledge, no other server does is make converters extremely cheap and bountiful.  In my opinion, overly so, but hey that's just my opinion.

 

It is trivial to kit out a top-tier build on HC simply with drops and lots and lots of converters.  On HC, you can exchange 100 merits for 300 converters.  On Rebirth, for example, you can exchange 100 merits for 10 converters, and it will cost you 2.5mm in inf as well.

[Hew]

That /z is shortcut for general chat! Like, yesterday I learned t his!